Man sent for evaluation after being stunned by Taser

LORAIN — A man described by police as mentally disturbed and violent was shocked three times by police about 3 p.m. Monday.

The incident occurred in an alley between East 28th and East 29th streets, according to a police report. Police responded to a call about a 23-year-old Lorain man being combative with LifeCare personnel.

Officer Zachary Ferenec said he chased the man, who climbed a fence. Ferenec said the man broke a bottle and lunged at him when Ferenec climbed the fence. The man also threw a piece of glass, narrowly missing Ferenec’s face, according to the report.

Officer Orlando Cruz said the man appeared high on drugs and had multiple cuts and scratches on his chest and stomach. Cruz said when the man refused to calm down and be handcuffed, he shot him with his Taser stun gun, which emits a 50,000-volt shock. Cruz said the man refused to be handcuffed until being shocked a second and third time.

A friend of the man’s said he was a veteran experiencing post-traumatic stress disorder and had been smoking synthetic marijuana before the incident. Police said the man was taken for psychiatric treatment rather than being arrested.